It was the evening of Thursday, September 19, 1974 and I was a newly-minted usher at the Saginaw Civic Center. Dressed in my white shirt and clip-on tie, and black polyester pants, my usher's uniform consisted of an ill-fitting orange dinner jacket. We were under some strict rules: stay at your assigned post and stand up straight, no hands in pockets (anyone caught with hands in pockets was assigned the over-sized red "monkey gloves" to wear as punishment... I never wore them) and above all NO SITTING DOWN.
That night was the Merle Haggard Show and his two stars were Dolly Parton and Don Bowman. My station was at the back door to the arena, right next to the trash compactor room. There was really nothing or anyone to actually "usher" as only stage hands and building employees went in an out that door. Thus, I stood in my assigned position and earned my $1.65 an hour pay.
Just before the show began I suddenly saw Dolly Parton walking my way. Now, for those of you who never met her in person there is one thing to keep in mind. Dolly was very short- standing just 5-feet tall while wearing flats. That is much of the reason why she seems to be so "busty." As she approached me she asked,
"Are you just standin' here honey?"
I replied that we were not allowed to sit. She looked around and said,
"We're gettin' you a chair."
I insisted that I was not allowed to sit. But she got the attention of a stagehand and ordered him to get me a chair- which he promptly did. I was then directed by Dolly to sit in it. As I objected one final time she firmly said,
"Look... I'm the star of this show, and if I say you get to sit, you get to sit!"
So I did.
Dolly them pointed to her sweater, which was white with all sorts of colored butterflies on it and asked me how it looked? I replied that it looked very pretty.
"It's for my new song," she replied, "Love is like a Butterfly. I'm introducing it tonight. Would you like to hear it?"
Now, you do not hear that from a country and western star and then say that you're more into rock-n-roll. Nope. You say "Sure, I'd love to hear it." Which is what I said.
With that Dolly Parton stood there by the arena's back door and in full acapella sang the entire song to me... just me! When she finished she asked what I thought of it? I told her that I liked it a lot and I was sure it was going to be a huge hit. She smiled sweetly and told me to keep sitting as she walked away.
She wasn't gone for two minutes before the arena manager, Bill Fifer, came along accompanied by my dad who was then the head usher! I was firmly asked what the hell I was doing sitting down? I told them the whole story and they looked at one another, snickered and basically said in that case it was okay.
Every time I saw Dolly on TV thereafter I told anyone within ear-shot that Dolly Parton sang to me in person. I will always do that too.
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